


Siren's Song

by VampirePaladin



Category: Final Fantasy X Series
Genre: Gen, Machina War (Final Fantasy X Series), Pre-Canon, Summons & Summoning Meta, Zanarkand (Final Fantasy X Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27203812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/pseuds/VampirePaladin
Summary: A young woman in Zanarkand has the chance of a lifetime to perform in front of an audience.
Relationships: Original Female Character(s) & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: Fic In A Box





	Siren's Song

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ZScalantian](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZScalantian/gifts).



Siren was up early. She was out the door before the sun had risen over the tops of the towering structures of Zanarkand. In her hands she held a flier advertising an audition. She nervously wrinkled the paper in her hands before attempting to smooth out the wrinkles that would never come out.

Even at this early hour, the streets of Zanarkand were filled with people. Some were heading home from nightshifts and others were heading into work. Others were jogging, exercising in the brisk morning chill that the wind carried down from Mount Gagazat. Every time Siren noticed someone going in the same general directions as herself, who didn’t look like they heading to or from work, she found herself wondering if they were heading to the same audition as herself. 

Nearing the address for the audition, Siren turned the corner to see a long line that reached down the block. She was taken aback, though she knew that she shouldn’t have been. Who wouldn’t want to be in concert with Lenne?

Siren’s stomach did backflips as she walked the length of the line. It seemed to go one forever. There were people dressed in casual clothing, people dressed in formal clothing, over the top costumes, and even some people wearing the traditional dress of the islands. Killika and Besaid were especially represented. Siren recognized a few people from the choir she sang in, they were really good. The rest, she had no clue about.

She got to the end of the line and prepared to wait. 

The line moved slowly forward as the sun rose up until it was hot over head. It was hot, her feet were hurting in the slightly too tight shoes she was wearing, and Siren was starting to get hungry.

“There you are!”

Siren turned her head to see Lorelei, one of her friends from the choir, holding a bag of takeout food and a bottle of water. Lorelei was grinning as she approached and held out the food. Unlike most of the rest of the choir, Lorelei was a professional singer. Everyone else joined for fun, including Siren.

“Lorelei, what are you doing here?” Siren asked.

“I heard on the news how long the line was for the audition. So, I brought you some lunch.” Lorelei held out the bag. 

“Thank you! You are amazing,” Siren said as she took the offered meal.

“I try. Make sure you give it your all at the audition. It’s your first time, right? Just remember that even if you aren’t selected, auditioning is still valuable experience and the more you do it, the more likely people are to remember you and call you for a job.”

“How many auditions did you go to before you got called back?”

“I lost count, but it was at least a dozen.”

“That’s a lot of rejection…”

“Even Lenne went through her share of rejection before she made it big,” Lorelei reminded Siren.

Siren knew that. She’d read Lenne’s biography three times. Knowing it and hearing it were two different things. It helped.

Lorelei stayed with Siren while she ate her lunch. Once Siren was done eating, Lorelei gave Siren one last hug before wishing her good luck and leaving with the trash in hand.

As the hours passed, Siren considered getting out of line and going home. She saw people both ahead of her and behind her give up and leave. Even with people abandoning the line, it still took hours before Siren finally got to the head of the line. Her feet were screaming for relief. Her nervousness had rebuilt itself inside her stomach.

“Name?” asked a woman with a clipboard. She was wearing a hat and sunglasses. She also had a chair to sit in.

“Siren.” 

The woman wrote that down on a sheet of paper. “Do you need any instruments set up?”

Siren nodded. “Yes, I play the harp and I sing.”

The woman wrote that down before handing the paper to a young man who ran off with it. “We’ll call you in when we’re ready for you.”

Siren nodded. She stuffed the flyer into her pocket. In her mind she went over the song that she was going to be singing. It wasn’t a big pop number and it wasn’t one that Siren had written. It was an old song about a group of warriors chosen by elemental crystals to save the world. No one had any idea anymore if the story was history, myth, or a mixture of both. It was one of Siren’s favorite songs and one she though showed off her vocal range very well, and she had memorized how to play it on the harp.

“Siren, you’re next. Follow the signs to the stage,” the woman with the clipboard said.

“Alright.”

Siren stepped into the building, which felt noticeably cooler without the sun beating down. She walked down a corridor to a chair with an arrow pointing to the left. Siren took the left and kept going, following the signs through what seemed like a confusing labyrinth of hallways until she went up a small set of steps and found herself on stage left. 

On the middle of the stage was a harp and a microphone. The lights were focused on the spot. In front of the stage was a table set up with three people, two women and one man. They had serious looks, papers in front of them and pens in hand.

“My name is Siren,” she said as she stepped out.

She’d performed in front of others before. Their choir did perform for the Festival of the Wind Crystal. Siren had even had solo parts in those performances, but she’d never been out on stage completely by herself. Having just three people hyper focused on her was different than having an audience who had their attention spread between a group of singers.

“What will you be performing for us today, Siren?”

“I-I’ll be doing _Ballad of the Four Warriors_ ,” she said.

She went to the harp, testing a few strings to find it had already been tuned. Siren took a deep breath and started playing, her voice joining the harp in song. Everything around her melted away. The judged didn’t exist to her. There was only herself, the harp, and their shared song.

When the song ended, everything came back, and with her hands away from the harp, Siren became aware of the judges who were writing on their pieces of paper.

“Thank you, Ms. Siren. We will be contacting you within a week to inform you of the results. Would you like a copy of the judge’s notes with the results?”

“I would.” 

“Thank you. Please exit stage right and follow the signs out.”

* * *

“I just think that if someone is going to claim that they are the best soprano in the choir, that they should back it up,” Lorelai said. She was balanced on a stool in front of the kitchen island. In front of her was a bowl of chocolate chips that she was munching on.

“I mean yeah, but it was just bragging. It’s not that big of a deal. The truth will come out eventually if they can’t do it.” Siren was mixing the cookie batter in a bowl. “You know if you eat all the chocolate chips there won’t be any left for the cookies.”

“Hmm, to eat chocolate now or to eat them in cookie form. Which is better?”

“Cookie form.” Siren said as she picked up the bowl and pulled it away from Lorelei, before turning it over and dumping the contents into the cookie batter. She went back to stirring to work the chips through the batter.

“Hey Siren, have you gone to see a doctor lately? It’s been awhile since your last appointment.”

“It’s been awhile,” Siren admitted, though she didn’t really like talking about it.

“Your mother and grandmother both died from Keres Syndrome. You should be screened for it. Just because you haven’t developed it yet doesn’t mean that you never will,” Lorelai said.

“And do what? Keres Syndrome doesn’t have a cure. I’d just be worrying about it when there is nothing that I can do about it. I’d rather find out about it when the symptoms show up and not worry about it until then.” Siren hated talking about Keres Syndrome. She knew Lorelai meant well, and Siren treasured her friend’s concern, but she didn’t want to think about what her chances were.

There was a knock at the door.

“I’ll get that. You focus on the cookies,” Lorelei said as she got up off the stool and went to the door. She came back a moment later with a letter in hand. “Is this what I think it is?”

“My results!” Siren had tried not to think too much about them since her audition. She was nervous about winning, she was nervous about losing, and she was nervous about the judge feedback. There really wasn’t any aspect that didn’t make her nervous. She was even nervous about whether or not she’d get any response at all. “I can’t look!”

“I could look for you?”

“Please.” At least Lorelei could brace Siren for the results.

Lorelei returned to her stool. She ripped open the envelop and pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. She unfolded it and started to silently read it, her brown eyes moving back and forth as she read through the letter, her expression was neutral, not giving Siren any sort of clue as to the contents.

“Are you ready?” Lorelei asked as she raised her gaze to look Siren in the eyes.

Siren set the bowl down and braced herself. “Tell me. I’m ready.” No, she wasn’t ready. Siren didn’t think she’d ever be ready, but she had to find out what the letter said. If it was bad it was better to get it over with now instead of worrying over how bad it actually was.

“You passed.”

“What do you mean?”

“They. Picked. You.” Lorelei grinned as she held the letter out in front of Siren’s eyes so that she could read it. 

Siren’s eyes widened as she read it. She could hardly believe what she was reading. While being selected was always the best possible outcome, she was only expecting to get practice auditioning and the feedback of the judges. 

“They picked me,” she said softly. “They picked me!” Siren moved around the table to wrap Lorelei in a tight hug. 

“See, aren’t you glad that you went and auditioned?” Lorelei said as she hugged Siren back.

“I’m going to get to play the harp and sing in a concert.” It was surreal. She wanted to disbelief this, to think it was only a dream that she was having, but no, this was completely real.

“Do you know how we should celebrate?” Lorelei asked with a grin.

“How?” 

“By finishing baking the cookies and then eating them.”

“I’m the one doing all the baking.”

“Then I guess I’ll have to work extra hard on eating them.” Lorelei laughed. “How about I’ll clean up?”

“Sound fair to me.”

* * *

Rehearsals were nothing new to Siren. She’d been through them before, many times. What was new to her was being the sole focus of the rehearsal instead of just one out of a group. It was a bit overwhelming. At least she didn’t have to dance around the stage. She thought it was cool when other singers did it, but Siren just didn’t feel like she had the coordination to do something like that. The harp helped make sure that Lorelei had to stay in one spot.

Siren had been taking a break when she saw Lenne enter. She was wearing her trademark blue and white top over a black lace skirt and brown boots.

“You must be Siren, right?” Lenne asked as she walked over to Siren. “I saw a sphere recording of one of your rehearsals. You’re very good.”

“Thank you, Ms. Lenne. I’m a huge fan of yours!”

“Just Lenne is fine. And thank you. I think I might start becoming a fan of yours too. You’re friends with Lorelei, right? We’ve performed together a few times.”

Siren nodded. “Yes, Lorelei and myself are in the same choir.”

“That’s wonderful! Maybe we can bring her into the concert as well?”

“Wait, really?”

“If you are fine with that. Other than the two of us, the line up isn’t locked in stone. And it’s always fun to have someone special with you during performances.”

“I’d really like it if Lorelei was also in the lineup.” It would be nice. They’d be performing in the same show but not together. It would be like in choir but also different. 

“I’ll talk to the manager about contacting her.” Lenne gave Siren a smile, though her voice sounded oddly distant.

All around Siren the world started to spin and blur. The floor went from flat and stable to curved and constantly moving. There was one Lenne and now there were two. The smile on both changed into a concerned look as her mouth moved.

Everything went black around Siren.

* * *

She woke up in a hospital bed. At first she was confused before she remembered the last few moments of consciousness. There had been a conversation with Lenne and then everything had gone weird before she has blacked out. Maybe she had fainted?

“Good, you’re awake,” a woman in the white coat and red trim of a white mage said as she entered the hospital room. “I’m Doctor Epione.”

“What happened to me?” Siren asked. “I was at rehearsal and then I found myself here.” It must have just been something like exhaustion. It had to be. They must have just been cautious when they brought her to the hospital.

“We’ve done multiple tests, both biological and magical.” The look on Doctor Epione’s face was grave. “You have Keres Syndrome. It’s aggressively attacking your mana centers. We can make you comfortable…”

“While I recover, right? You were going to tell me that you can make me comfortable during my recovery, right? I’m going to still get to sing for everyone.” She grasped at any hope, any possibility. It was always possible that a treatment had been developed. Siren has been purposely avoiding reading anything about Keres Syndrome.

“No,” Doctor Epione said. “We can make you comfortable until you die.”

Siren’s eyes blurred again, this time with tears.

* * *

There was a knock at the hospital room door. Siren turned her head to see Lorelei standing there was a bouquet of flowers and a small box.

“Lorelei,” Siren said. She smiled weakly at her.

“I brought you flowers and cookies. I did make you cookies, but they tasted bad. I bought these ones.”

“Thanks.”

Lorelei stepped into the room and placed both of the gifts on the bedside table. She pulled up a chair to be closer to the head of the bed and sat down. Even with her expertly applied makeup, Siren could tell that Lorelei had been crying.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. Do you know what is happening with the concert?” Siren didn’t know what she wanted to hear, but she had to know.

“Yes, they have selected the runner up to take your place, but they’ve changed it to a charity concert for research about Keres Syndrome and they still want your music to be in it. They are going to play a recording from your audition during the concert.”

It hurt, hearing that she was being replaced, but what else could they do? At least her music would still be heard, and the money raised was going to help fight Keres Syndrome.

“Are you going to sing in it?” Siren asked.

“They offered me a spot in the lineup.”

“Are you going to take it?”

“I don’t know. I feel like both taking and rejecting it would be betraying you. I asked for time to think about it,” Lorelei admitted. She slouched in the chair, arms on her legs. “What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to take it,” Siren said firmly.

There was a commotion outside. Siren and Lorelei looked at each other.

“I’m going to go see what that is about,” Lorelei said as she stood up.

“Okay.”

Lorelei left and returned five minutes later; the color had drained from her face. “Bevelle has attacked.”

“Are you serious?” Siren couldn’t believe it herself. 

“Yeah. They were talking about it on the radio. There is even talk about sending the Summoners to go fight.”

It made sense. Bevelle had superior technology to Zanarkand. It was summoning that Zanarkand had the edge in.

* * *

It was days later that there was a knock at the door. 

“Come in,” Siren said.

In walked a gorgeous woman with long hair. “You must be Siren.”

“Lady Yunalesca!” Everyone in Zanarkand knew who she was. How could you not know about the daughter of Yu Yevon. She also happened to be one of the greatest Summoners that the city had to offer.

“I’ve been told that you have Keres Syndrome.”

“I do,” Siren said. She hated being reminded of it.

“It is always lethal. There have been no known recoveries from it. Both medicine and magic are helpless against it. Well, most magic.” Most of what Yunalesca said was things Siren already knew.

“Wait, there is a magical cure?” Siren asked. She had given up hope of herself being cured and even the charity concert had been cancelled with the war.

“Of sorts. I’ll be blunt, it isn’t the best option, but you won’t die and you’d be able to protect Zanarkand.”

“What are you talking about?” Siren asked. She was confused. How could she live and protect the city?

“The magic that turns a person into a Fayth will stop Keres Syndrome dead in its tracks. You won’t be able to live as a human, but you’d be helping our Summoners defend the city.”

“Lady Yunalesca!” Doctor Epoine said as she stomped into the room. “I’ve heard about what you are doing, going to all the terminal patients and asking them to become a Fayth.”

“It only makes sense, Doctor,” Yunalesca said coolly. “They know they are going to die. I won’t force anyone to do something that they don’t want to do, but why not give them the option to help protect the city? It will also free up the resources being used on them for the injured from the war.”

“I don’t care. They deserve to enjoy whatever time they have left, not being recruited into becoming a Fayth!”

Becoming a Fayth, that was scary, but dying was even more scary. She could live and maybe even fight alongside people like Lenne as a Fayth.

“I’ll do it,” Siren said softly.

Yunalesca and Dr. Epoine both stopped talking to look at Siren.

“I’ll become a Fayth.”

“Siren, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to give up the time that you have left,” Doctor Epoine said.

“I know, but I’d rather keep living as a Fayth than being dead. Besides being stuck as a statue isn’t much different than being stuck in this room all of the time.”

* * *

Lorelei had come to the hospital to help Siren get ready to become a Fayth. She helped her put on a nice dress, jewelry, and helped her do her hair and makeup. Siren looked like she was going on a date or to perform in a concert.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Lorelei asked. Her voice was uneven. Even though she was smiling at Siren, it didn’t reach Lorelei’s eyes, which were red from crying.

“I’m sure.”

“I bet you’ll be a very beautiful Aeon, like Shiva. They’ll be dolls and statues of you. Lots of children will tell stories about how they are going to grow up, become a Summoner, and partner with you,” Lorelei insisted as she helped Siren into a wheelchair and pushed her out of the room and towards the entrance.

“I bet. You’re going to have to work hard if you want to beat me,” Siren tried to joke. “You’ll have to give three concerts a week and release a new single every month.”

“I’ve quit singing,” Lorelei said.

“But you love singing!” Siren tried to turn around in her wheelchair to look at Lorelei, but she didn’t have the strength anymore for that.

“I mean I’ll still sing sometimes, maybe with the choir, but I’m done singing professionally. It’s just not going to be the same without you around.”

Siren leaned back in the wheelchair, blinking away the blurriness of tears that threatened to fall. Singing had meant the world to Lorelei. The idea that she’d stop singing professionally was just something that she couldn’t imagine.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’ve registered to begin training as a Summoner. I start next week.”

“A summoner.” 

“Yeah, and when I become a Summoner, I’m coming to you first, so you better be ready for me.” Lorelei made a sound that was halfway between a sob and a laugh.

“I’d like that.”

Lorelei and Siren went to the temple together. Lady Yunalesca was waiting for them. Lorelei pushed Siren’s wheelchair into a small antechamber.

“You must leave us now, unless you plan to also become an Aeon,” Yunalesca said.

Lorelei moved around to look at Siren. She took her hand and squeezed it. “I’ll see you soon. I promise.”

“I’ll be expecting you.”

As Lorelei left, Siren knew that this was the point of no return. Her life as a human would be over. Soon she’d be a Fayth, a human soul inside of a statue. She’d grant her strength to Summoners, who would be able to call an Aeon. Siren wasn’t sure if the Aeon was supposed to be herself in another form, or if it was an outside being. It didn’t matter in the end anyways.

“Are you prepared, Siren?” Yunalesca asked.

“I’m ready.”

“Then close your eyes and begin your eternal dream.”

As Siren closed her eyes, she felt her form slip away. Her body was shifting and becoming more ridged, yet her soul did not feel constrained by it. It was like when she had auditioned. There was nothing except for the song of her voice and her harp. Now, she felt the same once more.

* * *

At the foothills of Mt. Gagazat, the forces of Bevelle and Zanarkand collided. Machina charged forward without any regard for their own safety. They were met by the devastating fury of the Black Mages and the Summoners.

On the edge of the battlefield, a small group of injured Zanarkand soldiers took cover. They didn’t have the strength to sling magic spells. Their injuries were too severe to attempt to rejoin the rest of the army.

“Come on, just hold on,” the Sergeant said to the Privates under his command. “We’re going to make it back.”

“Sarge, look!” one of the Privates as he pointed at a dozen Machina that were charging them.

Sergeant picked up his gun. “I’ll keep them busy, the rest of you make a run for it.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Lorelai said as she walked up to the soldiers.

She held out her hand and summoning runes appeared all around her. The ground seemed to turn into water, and from the depths rose a beautiful, monstrous woman. Her skin was yellow, though her hands and feet turned green. Strands of seaweed were mixed in with her long blonde strands of hair. A pair of wings came from her back. In her clawed hands was a harp.

“Siren, let’s give them our duet!” Lorelai said. She smiled at Siren’s Aeon form.

Siren returned the smile as she plucked the strings of her harp and began to sing.

It wasn’t a concert hall or a stadium. The people who heard them weren’t adoring fans. They were on the battlefield and it was soldiers and machina that got to hear them sing. It didn’t matter. This was their stage and they would perform on it together until they didn’t have the strength to sing together anymore.


End file.
